<p>Put the title Bad King John? in your exercise book.</p><p>§1 - Cold-hearted, cunning and bad Task One Working in a small group or as a whole class, study Source 1: 1. Make a list of all the words and phrases which describe what kind of person John was. 2. Which of those words a ‘pejorative’ (words which are disparaging/make John out to be bad)? 3. This passage may well have been written by the children’s author Enid Blyton. Overall, what was her opinion of King John?  What would you say if I were to suggest that she was biased and that, by using pejorative adjectives, she was trying to influence her young readers to hate him too?</p><p>§2 - The Worst King Ever Task Two Working as a whole class, study the section ‘Introduction – The Worst King Ever’: 1. Consider in turn at accusations 1-3, deciding for each:  Do you believe it?  Why? 2. Consider in turn at accusations 4-7, deciding for each:  Does this make John a bad king?  Why? </p><p>§3 - On the One Hand … On the Other Hand Task Three Working as a whole class, study Source 2 and the section ‘continued – John’s Reign’: 1. Consider in turn facts 4-7, deciding for each:  Does this make John a good king?  Why? 2. Reflecting on what Maurice Ashley said, made a list of positive words which describe John. 3. Fold a sheet of paper in half. On one side list all the bad things about John that you think have been established in this lesson. On the other side list all the good things about John that you think have been established in this lesson. 4. So what do we think about John overall? I think that much of the answer lies in what we mean by ‘bad’. The worksheet ‘Judgements on John’ includes nine of the pejorative words Newnes Pictorial Knowledge used about John.  Taking each in turn, discuss whether they are justified by the evidence you have learned this lesson – tick, or cross out, the words as you decide.  Looking at what you have got left, overall, was John a ‘bad’ king? 5. Write your own evaluation of John, supporting your suggestions with facts and arguments.</p><p>© John D Clare, 2014 Judgements on John</p><p>Any evidence for? Assertion Any evidence against?</p><p>Cold-hearted?</p><p>Selfish?</p><p>Cunning?</p><p>Weak?</p><p>Foolish?</p><p>Scared?</p><p>Cruel?</p><p>Cowardly?</p><p>Failure?</p><p>© John D Clare, 2014</p>